EAST LEEDS MAKE IT FAR FROM EASY FOR LEADERS

EAST LEEDS 8 WIGAN INCE ROSE BRIDGE 18
NCL 2 @ EASY ROAD
8 JUNE 2019 --- 2.30PM

EAST LEEDS AT HOME AT EASY ROAD

A measurable improvement by East Leeds after last weeks loss with a depleted side saw league leaders Ince Rose Bridge made to work hard for the two points and in conditions that made handling difficult the home side suffered a few errors that otherwise would have made this score line much closer.
Opting for a Northern service to Leeds after the recent weeks of Cross Country chaos failed to alleviate the problem and one hour and a quarter today it had been all standing as the train became aisle standing from Barnsley, anyway enough said.  Today should have been a debut at Nottingham Outlaws a side playing in the Yorkshire League but once again a Yorkshire based club pulled out on the afternoon before with the unable to raise a side call for the trip to Robin Hood Country.  Cricket was out of the question and flaming June would see top coat and umbrella in fashion for a brisk walk across Leeds allowing a convenient departure out to, surprisingly, the east of Leeds on a 62 First Bus circular that would pull its way through the flats of Saxton Gardens, onwards to the terraces of Cross Green and having circled around the ground a departure at Dial Rd, after travelling along the uniquely titled Upper Accommodation Road, for the 200yard walk to East Leeds ARLFC.

THE BUSINESS END

It had been around five years since the last visit for Easy Road and not much had changed the area is very much a community that in the 'good old days' would have been an steady walk of just under a mile to the city centre but now requires local knowledge and the navigation of major lane bypasses and circular roads.  The ground sits in Richmond Hill and its fair to say the area has seen better times but as ever clubs like East Leeds offer a community moulding experience.  The wets stuff was now coming down sharply so a visit to the clubhouse would see as ever here a hive of community activity with all age groups either having played or just off to play making the club a high footfall establishment.  Taking place on the pitch was a juniors cup game against Guiseley with a large enthusiastic crowd sadly by the time the weather had got worse and the main game kicked off there was just around 40 in attendance under umbrellas and tree cover.

ONE OF THE CLARK ESTABLISHMENTS SIDDLES UP TO THE GAME

This ground is a superb community set up alongside the feel of the club overall the very short road, Cross Easy Road at the side of the club has changing rooms at the end and before the next block of changing rooms you enter pitch side via a small walkway that takes you up two steep flight of steps that sees the pitch in a lofty position around the height of the roof of the 2 storey club.
With the modern Richmond Hill Academy down one touchline the rest of this tight ground is captured by the terrace houses flush to pitch side.  The relevance of the Clarke family I have not found out but needless to say the streets all bear the family name with Lane, Mount, Avenue, Crescent, Terrace, Road, Row, Grove and View all featuring from a northerly starting point around this ground!

EAST LEEDS BRING IT AWAY FROM THEIR OWN LINE

The previous visit to East Leeds was enjoyable and today would prove the same with a more than competitive game thrown into the mix, there were a few travelling hoppers and the only down side which is something mentioned before both teams seem uninterested in promoting their games on social media, the home side were contacted to check the game was all ok but having received no reply I took the chance and it paid off and a programme although small was issued to give me something to peruse later on the train.

FOR FAIRNESS HERE IS INCE ROSE BRIDGE IN POSSESSION

Having returned for a very fairly priced chip cob, £1.50, which I only got after changing the latter to butty, haha.  There was time to grab the teams and although the visitors side seemed to line up correctly the home side showed no number 18 or 20 of which they had in their line up and the Rugby League Express shows the home sides try scorers as different to the number on he team sheets once again making a report very difficult.

PLENTY OF OPTIONS HERE FOR A PASS

With the rain now falling sharply and a sharp breeze getting up it would not be a good afternoon for the gentleman of East Leeds and Ince and after last weeks performance at West Bowling you feared for them against the top of the table side.  Fear not a resurgent 'Easts' were so unlucky to go to oranges down to a Daniel Cassidy try turned into a maximum by Robbie Valentine.
Two errors would allow the visitors on 49 and 67 minutes to go over the whitewash Michael Parr and Callum Wilson.  The first try was excellently converted by Valentine from the left hand touchline a superb feat in the conditions.  In between East had pulled four points back from, take your pick here see earlier team sheet difficulties, either James Duckworth or Jason Priestly.

REFEREE HOUGHTON AWARDS A PENALTY TO ROSE BRIDGE FOR LIFTING A PLAYER DANGEROUSLY HEAD FIRST OR IS IT JUST A NEW DANCE CRAZE

With seven minutes remaining Valentine opted to gain two points from a penalty and the visitors had finished for the afternoon.  In between a rash of three sin bins, two for the home side and one for the visitors, the home side reduced the arrears when [18] Duckworth/Priestly went over in the right hand corner.

SECOND HALF BROLLY ACTION

A superb game with the ever vocal visiting bench realising in the last minutes they had secured the points their loudness reflecting a superb effort East Leeds had put in by challenging them all the way back to the showers.
Reversing back to Dial Road the '62' would allow for the completion of the circular bus route before walking across the busy Leeds city centre to the rail station and a seated[!] departure at just after 5pm would see arrival back in base station about 75 minutes later.
Nice weather would have helped but I do like a visit to East Leeds ARLFC a hidden gem of a rugby league ground.